Oil-separator for rotary refrigerating appliances.



No. 764,515. PATENTED JULY 5, 1904. M. A. AUDIFFREN.

OIL SEPARATOR FOR ROTARY REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1904.

A'TTORA/Eff.

Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARCEL ANTOINE AUDIFFRFJN, OF GRASSE, FRANCE.

OlL-SEPAHATOR FOR ROTARY REFRIGERATING APPLIANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764:,515, dated July 5,1904.

Application filed March 29, 1904:. Serial No. 200,640. (No model.)

To (rZZ whom it may concern.-

, Be it known that I, MARCEL ANTOINE AUDIE- EREN, teacher at the PetitSminaire of Grasse, Department of Alpes- Maritimes, France, haveinvented an Oil-Separator for Rotary Refrigerating Appliances, of whichthe following is a specification.

Rotatory refrigerator appliances composed of two chambers, one of whichcontains a liquid, such as sulfurous acid, liquefied by com-f pressionand which subsequently vaporizes in the other chamber, producing a fallof temperature, present the following defect: Sulfurous anhydrid, whichwas depended upon for the lubrication of the moving parts, onlypossesses the lubricating properties which are generally accorded to itto an insuflicient extent. INhen the load reaches certain limits, it isabsolutely neeessary,in order to give a suitable life to the apparatus,to introduce into it another lubricant, such as mineral oil. As,however, this latter partially dissolves in sulfurous anhydrid, itpasses speedily from the condenser to the refrigerator, where it causesgreat perturbation, and finally the condenser is deprived of alllubricant.

This invention relates to an oil-separator, serving to insure perfectlubrication of the moving parts which appliances of this kind comprise.

I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a rotatoryrefrigerator in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

1n the right-hand compartment A, Fig. 1, is contained the ordinarymechanism of a rotatory refrigerator, which is described only in inorder to facilitate the understanding of the oil-separator, which aloneforms the subject of the invention and which is entirely contained inthe left-hand compartment B.

The appliance comprises, broadly, two her- ..metically-closed vessels,of whichA serves as condenser and B as'refrigerator, the twobeingconneeted by a pipe D. The condenser A is rigidly connected withtwo disks E F,

5 serving as bearings for a shaft G, maintained fixedby a mass H,suspended from a frame keyed upon the said shaft. To the disk E isattached a compressor I, communicating with the refrigerator B by meansof the pipe J, connected to the pipe D. This latter is continned withinthe refrigerator and serves as supportfora box K, suspended by theintermediary of a'pivoted supporting-stem L, engaged by a collar M uponthe extremity of the pipe D. This latter communicates with a cylindricalchamber m, formed in the collar M, and orifices Z, formed in the pivotedsupporting-stem L. A small pipe 1: enters the box K. This latter ismaintained stable by means of a mass N.

The refrigerator B comprises upon its inner periphery a groove I),opposite to which is arranged a scraper 0 above a conduit 0, connectedto the lower part of the box K.

Like the refrigerator B the condenser A has a groove a, in front ofwhich terminates a pipe of small section (Z, the other extremity ofwhich opens into the refrigerator B. The two vessels are suitablyjournaled and actuated by the shaft P. They are immersed in suitabletroughs Q and R, the trough Q containing the refrigerating liquid of thecondenser and the trough R containing water or uncongealable liquid tobe cooled.

The operation is as follows: The shaft P, So which is driven either byhand or by means of a motor, displaces the whole apparatus composed ofthe condenser A and the refrigerator B. The disks E F, which serve asbearings for the shaft G, carry with them in their ro- 8 5 tation thecompressor 1, which is rigid with one of them. Owing to the mass H,suspended from the frame keyed upon the shaft G, this latter remainsstationary and permits the piston of the compressor to effect its strokein the cylinder and suck the gas of the vessel B in order to condense itin the vessel A. Owing to the rotation imparted to the apparatus, theliquid contained in the refrigorator is projected against the walls ofthis latter, and more particularly in the groove 5, where a certainquantity of mingled liquid and oil finds its passage obstructed by thescraper 0, which causes it to fall into the box or oil-separator K. Byvirtue of the difier- 0 ence of the densities of the liquids and owingto the condition of repose of the box the refrigerating liquid occupiesthe bottom, rises to the level :0, and flows through the pipe is. Theseparated oil forms a quiet zone, which extends from the level a," tothe level (0. When the height of this stratum exceeds the line 00, theoil is sucked with the gas, passing through the orifices Z, the chamberm, and the pipe I) and returned to the vessel A. The liquid regeneratedin A mixes with the lubricating oil contained in the condenser andreaches the bottom of the groove (0, from which, owing to thedifferences of pressure, which are about four atmospheres in A and oneatmosphere in B, it returns to the refrigerator through the pipe cl, thesection of which should be such that it will only permit of the passageof the necessary quantity of refrigerating liquid. If this quantity isless than that which thesection should permit to pass, it is oil, whichthen passes through the pipe d, completely obturating it until a freshquantity of refrigerating liquid has accumulated in the groove a. It isthis oil and still more that which the refrigerating liquid carries withit by dissolution that should be conducted from the vessel B back to thevessel A, and this result is obtained with the arrangement describedabove.

When the velocity imparted to the apparatus is insuflicient formaintaining the liquid in the groove 6, a spiral blade S, arranged atone side of the refrigerator, collects this mixture and conducts it inrotating into the oilseparator box K.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A rotary refrigerating appliance, comprising a closed condenser and arefrigerator, a pump and an oil-separator within said closed condenserand refrigerator respectively, piping connecting the refrigerator andcondenser, and means for rotating the condenser and refrigerator.

2. A rotary refrigerating appliance, comprising a closed condenser and arefrigerator and means for rotating them, an oil-separator within therefrigerator and a pump within the condenser and piping from theseparator to the pump.

3. A refrigerating appliance, comprising a closed condenser and arefrigerator, a pipe connecting them and extending into the refrigeratoras a hollow shaft, an oil-separator hung on said shaft and a pump withinthe condenser.

4. A refrigerating appliance, comprising a closed condenser and arefrigerator and means to rotate them, an oil-separator freely hungwithin the refrigerator, a pump, and piping connecting the refrigeratorand condenser.

5. A refrigerating appliance, comprising a closed condenser and arefrigerator and means to rotate them, a pump within the condenseradapted to be operated by its rotation, and an oil-separator hung withinthe refrigerator, a groove in the periphery of the refrigerator, and ascraper fitting therein.

6. A refrigerating apparatus, having a rotary closed refrigerator, anoil-separator hung within so as to maintain its position during therotation of the refrigerator. Y

7. A refrigerating apparatus, having a rotary closed refrigerator, anoil-separator hung within so as to maintain its position through therotation of the refrigerator, a condenser, a conduit from the condenserto the upper part of the separator, and an outlet of lower level fromthe separator to the refrigerator.

8. A refrigerating apparatus, having a rotary closed refrigerator, anoil-separator hung within so as to maintain its position through therotation of the refrigerator, a condenser, a conduit from the condenserto the upper part of the separator, and an outlet of lower level fromthe separator to the refrigerator, in combination with a pump within thecondenser actuated by the rotation of said condenser and attached tosaid conduit.

9. A rotary closed condenser for refrigerating apparatus, comprising ahollow shaft, an oil-separator, hung on said shaft, said separatorconsisting of a supporting-stem and conduit communicating between itsupper portion and the hollow shaft, a vessel supported by said stem, anoutlet from said vessel to the refrigerator and means to maintain theseparator stationary during the rotation of the inclosing vessel.

10. A rotary refrigerating vessel, a stationary oil-separator therein, apipe leading from the upper portion thereof communicating with a pumpingmeans, an outlet from said separator below the aforesaid pipe, and apipe depending within the separator from said outlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARCEL ANTOINE AUDIFFREN.

Witnesses: PIERRE CoMBE,

MARIUs M. BOSTIDORE.

